Poetry Study Goals

Goals:

1. Recognize the setting of the poem

2. Identify the speaker of the poem

3. Learn more about different kinds of poetry

4. Be able to interpret literary devices

5. Have some understanding of poem before continuing

While reading the Poem "The First Snowfall", the setting was very significant and helped in understanding the overall tone and feel of the piece. Identifying the speaker of the poem also stood out to me as being very important. For instance, after reading "Sonnet 55" I had to stop and question who the actual speaker of the poem was. This is definitely an important piece in understanding it but to me at least, it isn't always obvious. It also became clear to me while reading that I don't really know the different kinds of poetry anymore, and it would be helpful to study those. I would also like to be able to understand various literary devices. I know what what the devices are, but I sometimes have trouble understanding them in poems. Lastly, I would like to be able to have some understanding of the poem before I continue to read so I don't end up answering questions before I truly grasp the meaning of the poem.

Diagnostic Test Reflection

This test definitely made me realize a few things. For one, I need to work on my literary devices and brush up on the different forms of poetry. I remember some from Creative Writing last year, but clearly they didn't quite stick. I also need to be more aware of the writers tone and voice to avoid wasting time on a timed test going back and forth between the text and the questions. It often helps me to skim the questions before reading. Overall I didn't do to poorly, but also not as well as I would have hoped.